Judy Foote taking leave of absence, cites personal and family reasons

Minister of Public Services and Procurement will be replaced by Jim Carr on interim basis

Public Services and Procurement Minister Judy Foote is taking a leave of absence to deal with a family matter. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

Judy Foote will be stepping away from her post as a federal minister on a temporary basis to take care of family matters.

A news release from the Prime Minister's Office on Thursday says Foote, the federal minister of public services and procurement, will be replaced by Jim Carr on the interim basis.

"[Foote] will be away until further notice for personal and family reasons," the statement read.

"As Parliamentarians, our family should always be our priority, and I commend her for taking the time to be with her loved ones. We look forward to having her back in Ottawa."

Foote was first elected to the House of Commons in 2008 and was re-elected in 2011 and 2015 for the region of Bonavista-Burin-Trinity.

She won the last election with nearly 82 per cent of the vote, the highest total of any candidate in the country.

Foote, who served as director of communications in the office of former Newfoundland and Labrador premier Clyde Wells for seven years, later represented the southern Newfoundland district of Grand Bank in the provincial legislature between 1996 and 2007.

She served in the provincial cabinets of former Liberal premiers Brian Tobin and Roger Grimes.